Skate



Jan.'26 11943. e. H. HUTAFF. JR 2,309,394

. SKATE Filed Dec. 31, 1940 Patented Jan. 26, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT omce SKATE- George H. Hutafl, Jr., Wilmington, N. 0.

Application December 31, 1940, Serial No. 372,637 o Claims. (01. 280- 1133) My invention relates to new and useful improvements in skates and more particularly to a skate clamp. While I have illustrated my improvedform of clamp in connection with a roller skate it will be understood that it may be equally as well adapted for use in connection with ice skates.

The principal object of-the invention resides in the provision of a novel form of clamp which is operable without the use of the ordinary skate key which becomes lost or misplaced thereby causing inconvenience to the user.

- Another object of the invention resides in the provision and formation of a skate clamp which is operated by'm'eans of a lever, the lever being engaged with a rack bar to hold the clamp in its engaging positionon the sole of a shoe.

Still a further object of the invention consists in the formation of the clamp including adjustable sole engaging members which may be positioned to conform to the curvature of the shoe sole.

With the above and other objects in View, which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention consists in the novel details of construction and arrangement of parts, described in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of the invention, as they now appear to me, it will be understood that such changes may be made as will fall within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig 1 is aside elevation of the complete skate.

Fig. 2 is a view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation with the parts arranged as shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section on the 'line 5-5 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the drawing I indicates the two-part base or foot plate adjustable in the usual manner, 2 indicates the skate rollers or wheels, 3 indicates the upwardly extending heel plate and 4 indicates a portion of a strap adapted to go around the ankle in the usual manner for attaching the rear end of the skate in position. In the draw ing I have illustrated my improved form of clamp as a toe clamp for attaching the front end of the skate to the shoe, but it will be understood that, if desired, a similar form of clamp may be used at the rear end of the skate for engaging the heel of the shoe, this rear heel-engaging clamp being used instead of the strap shown in Fig. 1'.

My improved form of clamp includes a lever 5 which is pivotally connected to the base or foot plate. at 6, the forward end of the lever being curved to provide the extension I. A gear or pinion 8 is secured to the curved extension 1 of the lever at the pivot point 6 and meshes with a similar form of gear or pinion 9 carried by an arm l0 pivotally connected to the base or foot plate I. at H.

Pivotally connected to the lever 5, at I2, is a sole-engaging member or plate l3 and a, similar plate I4 is pivotally connected at l5. toxthe arm I0. These members l3 and I4 are ,loosely mounted by their pivots so that they may'adjust themselves to the curvature of the shoe-sole.

The lever 5 is bent downwardly, intermediate its ends, as shown, to form the offset l6 and on one edge of the lever is formed the upwardly directed projection or flange I! adapted to be engaged with the teeth of the transversely extending rack bar shown at l8. This rack bar is formed as a depending flange on the plate l9, which is secured to the base or foot plate i by the bolt 20 and nut 2|.

With the description above it is thought that the construction as well as the operation will be clearly understood. The clamp is shown in clamping position by full lines in the drawing and in unclamping position by dotted lines in Fig. 2. When it is desired to release the clamp the free end of the lever 5 will be engaged and pressed downwardly to disconnect the projection or flange l1 from the teeth of the rack bar l8. Then the free end of the lever will be swung outwardly into the dotted line position shown more particularly in Fig. 2 of the drawing and the movement of the lever will in turn operate the arm l0 and swing the same outwardly to the dotted line position also shown in Fig. 2. The arm I0 is operated simultaneously with the lever 5 due to the intermeshing of the gears or pinions 8 and 9. When the lever 5 and arm ID are swung into the dotted line positions shown the members or plates I3 and I4 will be swung free of the sole of the shoe and permit the skate to be removed. When it is desired to again attach the skate the foot will be placed on the base or foot plate I and the lever 5 will be swung inwardly to the full line position shown in Fig. 2. The manipulation of the lever 5 will in turn operate the arm Ill and the members or plates l3 and M will be drawn into engagement with the shoe sole and securely hold the toe portion of the skate in position. By having th members or plates 13 and I4 connected respectively to the lever 5 and arm [0 for pivotal movement they will adapt themselves to the curvature of the shoe sole. It will be understood that my improved form of clamp can readily be adapted for having the lever on either side of the skate as may be found convenient. With the lever operated clamp there is no necessity for a user to carry a skate key and it will be appreciated that there is considerable advantage in this. Very often children, as well as others, lose or misplace their skate keys thereby causing considerable inconvenience and possible purchase of a new key.

Having fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A skate including a base plate, a lever pivotally connected to the base plate, an arm pivotally connected to the base plate, said lever and arm having interengaging portions, and shoe-sole engaging members carried by the lever and arm, said lever having a free end portion extending rearwardly of the shoe-sole engaging member carried by the lever for engagement in actuating the same.

2. A skate including a base plate, a lever pivotally connected to the base plate, an arm pivotally connected to the base plate, said lever and arm having interengaging portions, and shoe-sole engaging members pivotally connected to the lever and arm.

3. A skate including a base plate, a lever pivotally connected to the base plate, an arm pivotally connected to the base plate, said lever and arm having interengaging portions, shoe-sole engaging members carried by the lever and arm, said lever having a free end portion extending rearwardly of the shoe-sole engaging member carried by the lever for engagement in actuating the lever, and means adapted to be engaged by the lever for holding th same against displacement, the lever having a portion forwardly of said free end portion adapted to interlock with said means.

4. A skate including a base plate, a lever pivotally connected to the base plate, an arm pivotally connected to the base plate, intermeshing gears carried by the lever and arm, shoe-sole engaging members connected to the lever and arm, said sole engaging members adapted to be engaged with or disengaged from the sole by manipulation of the lever, and a rack bar adapted to be engaged by the lever for holding the same in sole engaging position.

5. A skate including a base plate, a lever pivotally connected to the base plate, an arm pivotally connected to the base plate, said lever and arm having interengaging portions, shoe-sole engaging members connected to the lever and arm, said sole engaging members adapted to be engaged with or disengaged from the sole by manipulation of the lever, said lever having a free end portion extending rearwardly of the shoe-sole engaging member carried by the lever for engagement in actuating the same, and a part on the base plate with which a free end portion of the lever is adapted to interlock for holding the lever in sole engaging position.

6. A skate including a base plate, a lever pivotally connected to the base plate and having a projection on one edge, an arm pivotally connected to the base plate, intermeshing gears carried by the lever and arm, shoe-sole engaging members pivotally connected to the lever and arm, and a rack bar carried by the base plate and adapted to be engaged by the edge projection on the lever.

GEORGE H. HUTAFF, JR. 

